


Wisest of Souls

by Cynicwithatwist



Series: Heart, Mind, and Soul [3]
Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bantering, F/M, Slow Burn, Swordfighting, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-05-25 04:39:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6180478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cynicwithatwist/pseuds/Cynicwithatwist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yona and Hak are ready to rescue her parents, save Hiryuu Castle, and chase out whoever is invading.  The problem?  After a certain encounter on a certain night in a certain tent their relationship isn't quite the same.  But different can be better, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Pro Tem Soul

_Badump. Badump.  Badump._

Blood was pounding in her ears, depositing anxiety in every inch of her body.  Hiryuu Castle sat in front of her, gleaming in the late afternoon sunlight.  Though Yona had nothing but fond memories of the place a shiver of dread traveled down her spine.  Yona steeled herself against the fear.  She was strong, she was brave.  She would not break.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this, princess?” Hak asked. He still wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of Yona acting as their eyes and ears inside the castle, but he’d eventually quit fighting her on it.  She was glad for that small victory, at least.

“Of course.”

The wind picked up, rattling dead leaves that clung desperately to trees.  A chill had settled into the air over the past few days, winter’s potent claws beginning to numb every inch of the earth.

“This is as far as you go Hak,” Yona said and for some unfathomable reason the idea of being separated from his was more harrowing than the situation she was walking into.  “I’ll signal you like we planned when I’ve gotten the information we need.”        

His expression soured for a moment before returning to its previously neutral state.  His eyes however were as deceptive as the sea.  Calm waters hiding riptides.  Wild currents and powerful forces.

“Don’t be foolhardy.  If for any reason you feel as though they’ve caught onto you, call for me. Bravery and stupidity are not the same, princess.”

“Right, I’ll stay safe.  You do the same too.”

There was none of the usual mischievous camaraderie in their exchange.  It caused an ache in Yona’s chest.  She pushed the feeling aside, determined to focus.  A warrior could prioritize.  After she’d infiltrated the castle and helped liberate its inhabitants from their captors she could figure out what to do about Hak.  

Still, Yona couldn’t just leave things as they were.  Though she’d do her best to avoid any fatal outcomes, there was no guarantee.  She couldn’t leave him with such an emotionless goodbye.

Gingerly she stepped in front of him.  Before Hak could ask what she was doing Yona had her arms wrapped around the man, hands bunching the royal blue fabric at his back.  He stiffened for a fraction of a second before melting against her small form, body wrapping around the girl like a cocoon.  Yona buried her head against his chest, counting each steady heartbeat.  

Yes, she would come back for this, if nothing else.

“If you don’t leave soon princess, I’m not sure I’ll be able to let go,” that voice, a cadence of safety and trust and all her best memories wrapped in golden light, rumbled from above like darkening storm clouds.  

“Right.”

They separated and Yona felt a flicker of relief when she noticed just how equally unhappy Hak appeared once the two were completely untangled.  

_You got your goodbye, and now you have to get down to business.  Prioritize._

“I’ll see you soon, Hak,” Yona said, smiling, and then she was off.

There was still quite a bit of a trek left between where she’d left Hak in the mountains and the entrance of the castle, but Yona made good time. Only when she was completely in view of anyone guarding the gate did she slow her pace, wrapping her arms around her body, head cast down, eyes trained on the dirt below her feet.

Meek, she was meek.

“Who are you?” a man growled once she reached the gate.  He looked fairly young, sable hair and vibrant eyes possessed by only those that had yet to experience utter darkness.

“P-please, sir,” she whimpered, “I’m the princess of this castle. I don’t know why, but my guards took me away from the castle.  Then we became separated and I’ve been lost in the mountains since.”

The guard’s eyes raked down her body, assessing.  Before leaving Geun-Tae’s Yona and Hak had make sure to mangle her clothes.  They were now torn in various places, caked in mud and criss-crossed with grass stains. Her mother might faint if she saw their condition.  

“I don’t know what type of proof I can offer you besides my hair. Please, just let me go home.” Yona was quite proud of the warble in her voice, it sounded genuine even in her ears.

“You do have the hair,” the guard muttered.  “Alright, I’ll escort you in, your highness.”

He grabbed her arm, fingers digging painfully into her flesh. Yona stifled a yelp as he began dragging her inside.  She cast one last look towards the mountains.

_Let’s hope this works._

No, this _had_ to work.

The castle grounds were silent and it immediately set Yona on edge.  No talking, no laughing, no signs of life.  A graveyard with ghostly memories of what was dancing in her vision.  They continued through the main courtyard, making a hard left.

Yona realized he was probably taking her to the throne room. It had but one window and would be easy to guard.  An advantageous place to keep prisoners.

She wondered if her parents were there.

“And who is this?” another guard, the only other one they had come across, asked in passing, suspicion marring his face.

“The crown princess.  Poor thing found her way home after an appalling stint in the mountains. I’m putting her with the others.”

There was a taunting edge to her escort’s voice, the type of tone that would usually have Yona kicking up a storm.  However, just this once she remained passive.  The more fragile they assumed her to be the better off she was.

They did indeed stop at the throne room, and as soon as the large doors opened she was thrust inside, a boom crashing against the walls as they closed behind her.  Yona wondered if her guard was going to tell whoever was in charge about her arrival. Perhaps the mastermind would come visit Yona, and wouldn’t that be a dream come true.  Though she probably wouldn’t recognize him or her, if she could give an accurate description to Hak, Yona was sure Geun-Tae could figure out the culprit’s identity.

“Yona!”

Her head whipped to the left, eyes taking in the figure of her father before he crushed the girl against him.  He held her with a suffocating grip, shoulders shaking as he cried softly. Seconds later, Yona felt another pair of arms wrap around her back, more gentle and demure than that of her fathers.

“Thank the dragon gods you’re alright,” her mother whispered softly in her ear.  “But where have you been?  We were so worried.”

Her taunt muscles relaxed, a shaky sign escaping her lips. Tears pricked at the corner of Yona’s eyes.

She’d forced herself to believe her parents weren’t dead.   It was part of what had kept her going through everything.  But to have actual conformation they were indeed still alive?  There was no such word to describe the relief and joy that swelled in Yona’s heart.

_Prioritize._

Taking a deep breath, Yona wiggled out of their embrace.  This was only phase one, there was still so much that had to be done.  She could smile and laugh and cry later.  For now, all Yona needed was the iron resolve burning inside of her.

“There’s a lot I need to tell you both,” she said, eyes darting between her parents.  King Il was still blubbering slightly, her mother’s expression both curious and somber. Yona swallowed.  “We’re going to get Hiryuu Castle back, but I’m going to need your help to do it.”  


	2. The Furtive Soul

Whoever had taken over Hiryuu Castle ran it much like her parents had.  There were guards constantly on patrol, armed with swords and uneasy expressions.  Tense shoulders and light steps.  Though they kept many guards stationed outside the throne room, Yona guessed the total amount of men wasn’t that great. 

The problem was, however, they were trapped in the throne room, which made sneaking out rather difficult.  A few times the girl had tried gleaning information from the straight faced man who brought their food and water in, but each time he completely ignored her existence.  It was a little infuriating, if she was being completely honest.

“Yona, why don’t you sit down?  You’ve been pacing like that for hours,” her father said from where he sat perched on a chair.  Her mother stood in a corner, arms folded across her chest, exuding a regal air which was impressive considering she’d lost all control over both her castle and her kingdom. 

“It’s been four days,” Yona hissed, turning sharply and prowling forward in a similar manner to a caged predator.  She felt like one.  If only she could escape and get her hands on a sword, then they could actually get somewhere.  “Hak is going to barrel his way in here if I don’t report soon.  On top of that, so far we have no information.”

Yona stopped, taking in a sharp breath, trying to calm her simmering blood.  Getting upset wasn’t going to help their situation in the slightest.  She needed to figure out a plan.

“Perhaps having General Hak enter the grounds wouldn’t be such a bad thing.  Surely he’d come with General Geun-Tae backing him.  The two could easily end things,” her mother mused.

“Except we still wouldn’t know why these people have taken over the castle.  What if this is only part of their plan?  What if there’s something bigger in store and we don’t find out until it’s too late because we throw away this strategy?” Yona fired back.

There was no way Yona was going to let Geun-Tae and Hak down.  She was a fighter and fighters didn’t give up.  Ever.

“That’s it,” she muttered under her breath, stalking over to the window.  “No more playing it safe.”

A guard stood with his back to the wall, as always.  Compared to some of the other perpetrators Yona had seen, his posture was fairly relaxed.  They probably didn’t expect anyone, or specifically anyone royal, to escape through it.  The throne room was slightly raised from the ground, and it was a considerable drop to the outside, though not impossible. 

Yona whipped back around to face her parents, a plan already beginning to take root in her mind. 

“Is there anything in this room we could use as a rope?  And a gag?”

The queen’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you thinking?” she asked crisply, a chilly breeze sweeping through a frosted meadow. 

Yona sighed, preparing for a battle that didn’t require a blade.

“I know you weren’t a big fan of me learning how to fight, and I doubt you’ll be alright with this idea either.  It’s not very princess like.  But, right now we don’t need a princess, we need a warrior.  I didn’t come back here just to mull around and wait to be rescued, I came back _to_ rescue.”

The words rang honest and true, and Yona was surprised to see a small smile work its way onto her mother’s lips.

“Now that was a speech fitting of a queen.”

Yona gaped back in shock as her mother worked to tear the bottom of her skirt into two strips.  When she was finished she held them out to her daughter. 

One was longer than the other.  A rope and a gag.

“Go,” her mother said, and from the corner of her eye Yona saw her father nodding.  “They won’t bring us food for another three hours.  By the time you get back, we’ll have built a rope for you to climb up.”

Rushing forward, Yona enveloped her mother in a hug, and seconds later she felt her father wrap his arms around the two them.  They stayed like that for a spell, soaking in each other.  Over the years it had felt as if a divide had begun to grow between Yona and her parents, shattering the rosy glow of her childhood and ushering in the dim, grey light of adulthood.  As soon as this was over, she’d make it a priority to mend all that was broken between her family.

“I’ll be back soon,” she promised, leaving the security of their embrace and going back to the window. 

Gently, she opened it, smiling at the soft breeze that kissed her face.  Yona missed being outside, feeling the sun against her skin and listening to the symphony of bugs and leaves and rushing water.

Zeroing in on the task at hand, Yona angled her body in such a way she’d land right on top of the unsuspecting guard.  Then she leapt.

She hit him with more force than expected, their bodies falling to the ground, a tangle of limbs and tension.  Yona squirmed out from under him and bolted to her feet.  The guard didn’t move.

She’d done it.

With a victorious grin Yona bound his arms and mouth.  Only in the moment did she realize it probably would have been best to tie his legs as well, but it was too late to worry around that.  After a quick glance around confirmed no other guards were nearby, Yona dragged the man toward a seemingly vacant room.

The man was heavier than he looked, Yona’s muscles straining to pull him out of sight as quickly as possible.  By the time she’d gotten him through the door a sheen of sweat covered her skin and she was panting. 

As luck would have it, she’d stumbled upon a guest room which, of course, contained a bed.  Yona sent a quick thank you to Hiryuu up above.  This solved her problem quite well.  Rolling his body, Yona fit the man under the bed.

“Have fun wiggling out of there without the use of your arms,” she muttered; grabbing his sword from the wooden floor.  Yona shut the door firmly on her way out, feeling lighter than she had in weeks.  The princess hadn’t realized how much she missed being in control of a situation until it was all ripped away from her hands. 

_Never again,_ she vowed _, whoever did this better be ready._       

For her first solo adventure through enemy territory, Yona figured it was best to learn the lay of the land.  See which portions of Hiryuu Castle were more heavily fortified with men, and which barely had anyone keeping an eye on them.  And, hopefully, she’d be able to locate the individual in charge of this entire production.  Perhaps she’d even see his or her face.

Yona stuck to slinking around the edges of buildings, allowing the shadows to paint her in shades of grey and brown and black.  In shades of nightmares and war.

_Crunch._

Yona froze, holding her breath.  Someone was coming around the corner.  Silently she drew her blade in front of her, inching forward.  There was nowhere to hide, but she wouldn’t need a hiding spot as long as she attacked swiftly and surprised whoever lurked on the other side.

With an exhale Yona jumped forward, blade flashing from where it caught the sunlight, swooping in a strong, graceful arc.  It was stopped almost immediately, another blade catching it, as if whoever held the sword had been anticipating her strike.   

Yona caught sight of her opponent.  The weapon fell from her hand and clattered against the ground.

Confusion warred with frustration, and it took a moment for her to stuff down the swirling emotions enough to actually form words.

“What are you doing here?  You’re supposed to wait for my signal!”

Hak shrugged, lowering his blade. 

“You never signaled.”

And then she was in his arms, pressed up against his chest until there was no space between them.  Yona could have been imagining things from the giddiness that begun to swell in her body, but she was almost certain Hak pressed a kiss to the crown of her hair.

She couldn’t believe how much she missed him, and though annoyance still threatened to spill over, he’d done exactly the opposite of what she’d wanted after all, Yona was still so very glad he was here.  Hak belonged by her side, and there was a truth to that notion that colored everything in the warmest tones, the brightest hues.  They were burning.

“I truly hate to break up this sweet moment, but we’d better get moving,” a familiarly lofty voice called quietly, shattering the moment with how out of place it sounded given the situation. 

Hak and Yona separated quickly, heads whipping simultaneously toward the speaker.  There stood Princess Eun, sword held in a relaxed hand, grin so wide it threatened to split her face in two.

“I thought I’d invite myself along.  The more the merrier, right?”           


	3. The Hopeful Soul

“What- Eun?” Yona choked out, confusion settling onto her tongue and making it nearly impossible to get any semblance of a full sentence past her lips.  She stared blankly at the girl in front of her.  Princess Eun was no longer wearing decorative clothes of pearly pastels, garments so extravagant only those with blue blood donned them.  No, now the girl was decked in swaths of sepia and amber fabric that was light enough to allow a wide range of movements.  A smear of dirt ran up her right cheekbone, the same color as her steady eyes.

“Remember how I said there were things about me you didn’t know?  Unfortunately we don’t currently have the time to discuss them, but I promise once this is all over we will.  For now, you’re just going to have to trust that I have extensive knowledge in swordsmanship as well as in the art of healing.  Can you do that?”

Yona cut a glance to Hak.  She felt as if Eun could be trusted, the Princess had done nothing but prove herself helpful along the way.  Still, Hak’s input mattered to Yona.  He was far more versed in the politics of war.  If he didn’t approve of Eun joining them, she wouldn’t either. 

“If she was with the invaders she wouldn’t be wasting time with us, she would have simply told them of the plans we made with General Geun-Tae,” Hak said.

“Very well, having another ally in Hiryuu Castle can only help us.”

  Eun’s expression had remained impassive through Hak’s analysis, but at Yona’s words another beautiful smile broke out across her face.  Though Yona had never noticed it before, but there was something sharp about the look in the princess’s eyes when she smiled, a sort of wickedness that was tempered by the innocent curl of her lips.  She was indeed much more than she seemed, perhaps she always had been, and in that moment Yona was thankful Eun was on their side.

“Wonderful.  What’s our next move, Yona?” Eun asked.

Yona took a deep breath.  Not long ago she would have answered with the first fleeting idea that leaped into her head.  Things were different now.

“Hak, I leave this decision up to you,” she said.

“The best course of action is to rescue your parents and get them to safety, preferably with Mundok as he’s currently the closest.  They’re the bargaining chips, if we don’t remove them from Hiryuu Castle it’s possible they’ll be used as shields in the final confrontation.”

 There was no trace of amusement in Hak’s voice, no barbed joke hidden in his words waiting to spring out and latch itself onto Yona.  She’d almost thought Hak would tease her about deferring the strategic planning to him.  Something along the lines of, _are you sure princess?  Your great knowledge about coups is superior to mine, after all._ She was glad he didn’t.

“That means one of us has to escort them to The Wind Tribe,” Yona pointed out.  Hak was staring directly at her. 

Eun, Hak, Yona.  Out of the three of them, only two knew the way to The Wind Tribe.  Out of the two of them, only one would insist the best plan was to leave him behind.

“No,” Yona snapped.

“Princess-” Hak began but Yona cut him off before he could get past her title.

“I am not leaving you here by yourself to try and collect information on our enemies.  You can’t remain unseen forever, and when they find you, they will kill you.  For whatever reason they’re keeping the royal family alive; I’m more likely to be safe here than you are.”

Fury was a nasty little thing, bubbling in her blood, threatening to claw and bite its way out from under her skin.  Its growls echoed in her ears, growing louder and louder.  Yona knew Hak was a better warrior than she, she knew he felt duty bound to protect her.  She knew he’d stupidly throw away his life for hers. 

That wasn’t a choice Yona was willing to make.  Ever.  There was another way, they’d find one, or create one if they had to.

“What if…well, what if I took them to Sei with me?” Eun suggested, watching the two face off with what could only be described as sympathetic understanding.  “I can get them there, and then I can enlist the help of my sister and Soo-Won.”

“Are you sure you can make the trip without being caught?  Whoever is controlling Hiryuu Castle will be out looking for them,” Yona said, though her heart was already coming alive with excitement at the possibility.     

“If you had been able to see me truly fight, you wouldn’t be asking that question.”

 The look in Eun’s eyes, all sharpened steel and fierce determination, cloaked the Princess’s words in a sort of confidence that only came with hard earned experience.  Yona believed her.

“Alright, let’s go rescue my parents.  We don’t have much time.”  The last sentence was not needed, their situation made it difficult to forget they were fighting against time.  But Yona had to say it, to prove to Hak this was not something he could sway her on.  She could tell by the hard set of his jaw he was none too happy. 

He’d get over it.

Yona led them back to the window under the throne room.  The trio failed to encounter any guards, which surprised Yona, but she would worry about enemy guard rotations later.  Leaning against the window’s ledge and watching the courtyard with great interest was King Il.  His eyes bulged as he caught sight of his daughter and her companions.

“Hak,” he whispered the general’s name with a small laugh.  “I should have known you wouldn’t be far behind Yona.  And Princess Eun too, hello.”

 The Queen, roused by her husband’s animated yet hushed voice, appeared beside him a second later.  Her face remained calm, as always, but Yona caught a look of relief flash across her eyes.

“We’re here to break you out, your highnesses,” Hak said.  “Princess Eun has volunteered to take you both to Sei; she can fill you in on what we know during your journey.  For now, I ask you both move quickly.”

King Il looked toward the ground with a worried expression.  “It’s an awfully long way down.”

A flicker of annoyance seared through Yona.  She usually enjoyed her father’s bubbly and childlike take on life, but that was something he was going to have to do away with until all was well again within Hiryuu Castle.

“Father,” Yona hissed as quietly as she could.  “You saw me make that same jump not even twenty minutes ago.”

“Yes, but you had a guard to cushion your landing.”

Hak snorted beside her, no doubt imaging just what that looked like.  Yona elbowed his side on instinct. 

“Hak will catch you,” she promised, rather pleased with the spur of the moment idea.

Hak leaned his sword against the wall without argument and stood directly under the window, arms extended up.  The Queen jumped first, and even though leaping out of a window was far removed from the skills of most royal women, she still managed to make it look graceful.  The King’s subsequent plunge was not graceful.  Hak was strong, however, and though he staggered briefly under the King’s weight, both made it through the ordeal without injury.

Since it seemed only logical to not use the main gate as a means of escape, Hak and Eun, who had both entered the grounds of Hiryuu Castle by scaling the same stretch of wall, quickly ushered the group toward a secluded garden near the far left corner of the compound.

“No one goes there,” Hak murmured in Yona’s as the two quietly scouted ahead a few steps before signaling for Princess Eun as well as the King and Queen to follow.  “I only know about it because we played hide and seek there once as kids.  Do you remember, Princess?” 

She did.  The Dragon’s Garden, it was called.  Meager in size compared to the other gardens Hiryuu Castle boasted, but there was something unidentifiably magical about the place.  Grass the shade of emerald shards accompanied a scuffed stone path.  Flowers of every kind and color – ruby roses, periwinkle peonies, lemon lilies- lined the garden’s edges, seeping out of their flower beds and reaching towards the garden’s grassy center.  A lush sunset one could grow lost in.  And Yona had, when she and Hak played hide and seek.  It took him a good five minutes to find her.  A record for him.

This time, however, there was not just flora waiting for them.  A group of guards stood in a crescent shape against the far war, facing the garden’s entrance.  One man, only identifiable as their leader due to the crimson band circling his left shoulder, stepped forward.

“How nice to see you again your royal highnesses,” he said, buoyant voice marred by the snarling blade he unsheathed from his side.  “Did you bring the Princess out for a picnic?”    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been over a year, but I am finally back! I promised myself I'd never drop a fic so even though I was in a writers drought for a while, I knew I would come back to this story. Sorry I left y'all hanging for so long, but I hope you enjoy the update :)

**Author's Note:**

> Alright folks, here we are, the final portion of this three piece saga. The story was initially supposed to be a short fic, but it somehow extended into this monstrosity. I'm so very thankful for all of you that have stuck around to read, your comments brighten my day. I hope you love the conclusion as much as I've loved writing it!


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